


nothing could be better

by togetherwecouldbealright



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Animal Shelter, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 14:39:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1944924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/togetherwecouldbealright/pseuds/togetherwecouldbealright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> Harry blinks at him a few times and opens his mouth before closing it abruptly. Finally, “You think I’m cute?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Louis lifts his hand and makes a so-so gesture before laughing at the appalled expression on Harry’s face. “Yes, I do. Not as cute as the kitten I brought in, but definitely halfway there.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I don’t know whether to feel insulted or flattered,” Harry eventually says making Louis grin and he’s pretty sure that his cheekbones should be aching from how wide his smile is.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Feel flattered Harold, always feel flattered,” Louis advises before bringing his knees down and crossing his legs instead. </i>
</p><p> </p><p>Louis finds a three legged kitten on the street and takes it to the animal shelter. He doesn't expect to find a Harry Styles as well but he goes along with it anyways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing could be better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WonderstruckFantasy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderstruckFantasy/gifts).



> Title from The Summer Set's 'The Way We Were' even though it relates to this story in no way whatsoever. This is basically a fluff fest. Hope you enjoy!

Louis isn’t sure how it happens.

One minute, he’s walking down the street, heading home after an exhausting day of chasing around toddlers who don’t seem to understand the first thing about naptime and then the next minute, he’s crouching in the middle of the sidewalk and lifting a small kitten off the ground.

Alright, maybe Louis is exaggerating a little. About the toddlers, of course, not the kitten.

The first thing Louis notices about the kitten is that it has big blue eyes to match his own. The second thing Louis notices is that it’s missing a leg.

He frowns at it, cradling it in his arms and it mewls quietly, blinking before burrowing into his chest. It takes all of Louis’ restraint to not croon at it.

After all, he’s a grown man. Also, he’s in the middle of the sidewalk, rocking a kitten back and forth as if it’s a newborn baby and people are starting to stare.

Not that Louis really cares—but all the same, it’s slightly unnerving.

Louis gently runs his fingers over the kitten’s back, before scratching behind its ear and it makes a quiet sound that Louis thinks could be a _meow_. He isn’t completely sure though.

He isn’t sure what the standard protocol is for finding stray animals on the street seeing as one has never limped over to him and nudged his shoes before this. Maybe that says more about him than the stray animals.

After one moment of debating too long, he decides he should probably go to an animal shelter. The way that the kitten is blinking up at him is a bit unnerving and he thinks that maybe its face is screwed up in pain.

That could just be him reading far too into things and the leg injury doesn’t look recent—in fact, it looks rather healed but Louis figures it doesn’t hurt to check.

It’s a busy day in London, people bustling past him without a second glance and Louis’ frown deepens at the thought of this poor injured kitten limping around these crowded streets, possibly getting even more hurt. He doesn’t like the idea at all and that’s why within seconds he has his phone out, googling the closest animal shelter.

For once, his luck doesn’t let him down and his phone informs him that the closest shelter is a simple five blocks away.

Louis tucks his phone back into his front pocket and adjusts the strap of his bag on his shoulder before huddling the kitten inside his coat and walking to the shop.

Since it’s already May, it isn’t as chilly as it could be but he has a feeling that this kitten might’ve had to suffer the harsh winter that’s just passed.

That only makes him pull his coat tighter around the kitten and by the time he actually gets to the animal shelter, a fleeting worry that he might’ve suffocated the kitten enters his mind.

As soon as he pushes open the doors to the shelter, he unbuttons the bottom half of his coat and gently reaches in and uses one hand to lift up the kitten who ends up blinking at him steadily. He takes that as sign of it being alive and well.

Then Louis sees the man behind the counter and nearly drops the kitten (not actually, but it’s a close call in his mind) in surprise.

The man doesn’t even look up, softly bopping his head along to whatever song is playing on his headphones and flipping idly through the newspaper, a genuinely interested expression on his face.

Louis doesn’t even notice the expression at first—too busy taking in the soft curls framing the man’s face, ending just below his neck. His hair is held back from his face by a simple green headscarf that doesn’t even begin to compare to the light green color of his eyes.

His lips are entirely different thing; they’re the color of roses and they look soft under the fluorescent lights of the shelter. The man reads something particularly amusing then because his lips quirk up and on either side of face, twin dimples appear.

This results in Louis casting the kitten a look of despair but it seems the kitten holds no sympathy for him because it simply noses at his arm instead of sparing him a glance.

With a sigh, Louis gently scratches between the kitten’s ears before going back to observing the man but it seems he’s been noticed because the man is pulling out his earphones and offering him a bright grin that makes Louis feel weak in the knees.

“Oops,” the man says, looking slightly bashful even through the wide smile on his face.

All Louis can do is wave with his free hand mumble, “Hi,” unsurely.

There’s a moment of silence but then the man breaks it, still smiling. “Sorry about that. Good afternoon, how can I help you?” he asks and his voice comes out slowly as if he’s taking the time to pronounce each and every syllable.

Louis holds back his reply of _there’s a lot of things you could help me with_ and instead steps forward, holding out the kitten.

The man’s face softens immediately and he makes a face that resembles one of a wounded kitten—which, alright. That’s cool.

“Who’s this?” the man asks quietly as if not to startle the kitten. Louis thinks he might be hallucinating. Maybe even dreaming. “Is it yours?”

After a pause where Louis manages to rip his gaze from Harry’s lips long enough to understand the question, he shakes his head. “Erm, no. I sort of found him on the street and I wasn’t sure what to do but I figured you would?” Louis tries, voice lilting at the end, turning the statement into a question.

The man nods instantly and Louis finally notices the name tag on his plaid shirt. _Harry_.

“That was wonderful of you to do,” Harry informs, smiling and Louis smiles back before staring back down at the kitten. “Do you mind?”

Louis blinks up at him, confused before he realizes that Harry is gesturing towards the kitten and after a moment’s hesitation, Louis takes a few steps forward and hands Harry the kitten over the counter.

In that moment, Louis comes to realize that Harry has rather large hands. It’s an observation he notes for later, pushing it to the back of his mind as he watches Harry gently pet the kitten. “Is he alright?” Louis asks, biting his bottom lip.

“She,” Harry corrects gently and Louis’ lips part in surprise before he ducks his head, flushing. “She seems to be alright.”

A breath that Louis didn’t know he was holding in leaves his lips and the muscles in his shoulders loosen as he takes another step forward and brushes his thumb against one of the legs the kitten still has. “I’m really glad to hear that. I was a little worried.”

Harry giggles then and Louis is immediately enamored without intending to be. “I can see that,” he teases playfully before he nudges Louis’ hand with his own. “I didn’t catch your name?”

“That’s because I didn’t tell you it,” Louis replies easily, feeling his lips quirk up on their own accord. “My name is Louis,” he adds after a moment, tilting his head to the side.

“Louis,” Harry repeats and it seems to roll off his tongue with ease and he smiles broadly. “I’m Harry. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Louis agrees before looking back down at the kitten. “Are you sure she’s alright, Harry?”

Harry hums quietly before his eyes light up brightly and he gestures towards the kitten again. “Do you want to stay for a checkup?” Harry asks and if Louis isn’t mistaken, his voice is slightly hopeful.

It takes Louis less than a split second to decide and he nods—there’s two reasons for the easy decision making. One being that somehow, this kitten has Louis wrapped around its fingers and he actually cares about her wellbeing and the other reason being that more time with Harry surely can’t be a bad thing.

His answers leaves Harry more than delighted because he grins even wider than before and then he turns, calling, “Niall! I need you to do a checkup!”

“My arse can do a checkup,” replies someone from the back and for the first time, Louis becomes aware of all the different animals inside the shelter, right through the open door. He briefly noticed when he first entered but Harry quickly distracted him from everything else.

Harry sighs exasperatedly as if he’s used to this behavior from his coworker and he puts his hands on hips in a way that’s entirely too adorable for Louis to handle. “Honestly, I’m surprised Cowell hasn’t fired you yet!” Harry shouts back and the person gasps in reply before suddenly a blond man appears at the doorway, a challenging expression on his face.

“You take that back, Harry Styles or I’ll call your mum. I have her on speed dial,” Niall threatens, glaring subtly and Harry grumbles something under his breath that Louis doesn’t catch.

Finally, Harry gently lifts the kitten and takes her into his hands. “I’m sorry, Niall. I take it back. Now could you _please_ do a checkup on this sweetheart for me?”

Niall stands in the doorway for a few moments, eyeing the kitten before his eyes wander over to Louis and suddenly he snorts and nods. “Yeah, alright. Only because lover boy over there looks like he wants be doing something else way more than he wants to be here.”

“That’s not true,” Louis argues defensively and Niall just raises an eyebrow before he walks forward and takes the kitten from Harry’s arms.

He doesn’t even offer Louis a reply as he heads back and Louis stares after him bewildered and when he turns to Harry, the man is holding a hand to his face in disbelief.

“Come on,” Harry says after a while of the two of them just standing there. “We can watch from outside.”

Then Harry takes his hand without warning and Louis nearly falls over in surprise but manages to restrain himself. He thinks Harry might know that because he giggles again as he leads them towards the back.

They pass by different animals and at one point Harry falters in walking because Louis stops to admire a different small puppy but eventually, they approach a pair of glass doors and through them, Louis can see Niall poking and prodding the kitten he found with different medical instruments and he frowns.

He’s sure that Niall is a professional but all the same, it makes him a little upset to see it.

That’s why he ends up turning away and sitting down with his back to the door, settling his chin on top of his knees. It takes a moment but suddenly there’s knees knocking into his and Harry is sitting down beside him.

“Are you alright, pal?” Harry wonders, nudging him gently with his elbow and Louis nods, turning to look at Harry.

“It’s just a little weird to see that,” Louis answers truthfully and then he shrugs. “I don’t know what it is but I guess I kind of feel responsible for her now.”

“That’s not uncommon,” Harry reassures, patting Louis’ knee softly and Louis represses the urge to shiver in response. “Especially when they’re injured. It’s okay to grow attached.”

Louis’ lips quirk up and he waits a moment before asking, “Speaking from experience?”

For some reason, he’s genuinely curious. He doesn’t know what it is about this man in front of him but Louis doesn’t think he’ll ever has his full fill of him.

Harry is interesting. Louis isn’t sure what makes him so interesting but there’s something there and Louis wants to figure out how he works and just, well, figure _him_ out.

“If by experience, you mean seeing people come in with strays they found and walk out with the same strays then yes, I do have experience,” Harry informs, grinning and Louis just blinks at him, amused.

“That isn’t what I meant, actually,” Louis replies, smirking a little at the way Harry’s cheek flush a pretty pink color before clarifying, “What I meant was; do you have pets of your own?”

It takes Harry a moment to reply, cheeks still dusted pink but eventually he nods his head, mumbling, “Yeah, I’ve got a cat.”

Louis nods his own approval and then he hesitates before asking his next question. “Fancy telling me more about yourself or would that be strange?”

That catches Harry off guard because he giggles again, shoulders brushing against Louis’ before turning to face him more properly. “You’re proper shy, aren’t you? You don’t seem it but you definitely are,” Harry teases, grinning and Louis rolls his eyes, shoving Harry playfully.

“Quick to make assumptions, are we?” Louis retorts, licking his lips and he sees Harry’s eyes track the motion. “You’re just awfully pretty and I sometimes have a problem talking around cute blokes.”

Harry blinks at him a few times and opens his mouth before closing it abruptly. Finally, “You think I’m cute?”

Louis lifts his hand and makes a so-so gesture before laughing at the appalled expression on Harry’s face. “Yes, I do. Not as cute as the kitten I brought in, but definitely halfway there.”

“I don’t know whether to feel insulted or flattered,” Harry eventually says making Louis smile and do the thing where his eyes get all crinkly at the edges.

“Feel flattered Harold, always feel flattered,” Louis advises before bringing his knees down and crossing his legs instead. “Since you seem to be stubborn, I’ll go first. I’m Louis Tomlinson, twenty four years old and currently living with flatmate and best friend Zayn. I have five sisters and one brother and I’m a nursery school teacher. Also, I’m single.”

Harry gapes at him and Louis simply smiles back, picking at a loose string from the holes of Harry’s jeans as he waits for a reply.

It seems it takes a while for Harry to process Louis’ words but eventually, he says, “Erm. I’m Harry Styles, twenty two years old and I’m actually living with Niall. I have one sister and I volunteer at an animal shelter. I’m in law school though so hopefully, I’ll be a lawyer in the upcoming future.”

There’s a pause before Harry adds, “And I’m single too,” and then looks down at his hands that he’s twisting aimlessly in his lap.

Louis snorts and takes Harry’s hands in his own before he can think too much about it. “What’s it like having a cat? I’ve never had a pet before.”

That makes Harry look up with a small smile and he shrugs before saying, “It’s really nice. My cat could be my best friend, frankly. He’s why I volunteered here. That and Niall makes a compelling case.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Louis wonders, biting back a smile but he thinks his eyes might light up anyways.

Harry tilts his head before pursing his lips. “Tiger Woods or Niall? Because I love Tiger Woods but I’m not so sure about Niall.”

Louis balks at him for a moment before he incredulously asks, “You named your cat _Tiger Woods_?”

Immediately, Harry pouts and ducks his head once again. “Listen, he has stripes and sometimes I bring him when I play golf. It was fitting,” he replies defensively and it takes all Louis has to not just kiss the pout right off his face.

Instead, Louis shakes his head, muttering, “I’ve made the worst decision talking to you...” and Harry’s pout deepens further.

“Hey,” Harry whines, stretching the word out and Louis grins, biting his tongue to keep from saying something stupid like _marry me_.

“Only joking, of course,” Louis reassures but then he winks and Harry scowls, flicking him on the knee.

Before Louis can do anything in retaliation, one of the glass doors open and Niall stares down at them with a knowing expression.

If Louis were in Harry’s shoes, he’d probably snap at Niall but all Harry does is roll his eyes and let go of Louis’ hands to reach up for the kitten which Niall places in his hands without so much as a word before turning to Louis.

“She’s fine,” Niall tells him and then he smiles gently down at the kitten. “She can fend for herself at any rate. She’s a tough one.”

Louis finds himself grinning almost proudly as he stares at the kitten that’s now licking at Harry’s palm. “I’m not remotely surprised.”

They’re all quiet for a moment before Niall nods and shuts the door again, leaving Harry and Louis alone in the hallway.

Harry nudges him then and Louis doesn’t understand why until he hands Louis the kitten and gets to his feet. Louis gets up soon after him, taking special care to not drop the kitten in his arms and when he stands up, he wobbles a little but Harry reaches out and steadies him with a hand on his waist.

“There,” Harry says satisfied and he squeezes Louis’ waist once before dropping his hand and shoving both of them into his pockets. “Do you want to name her?”

Louis’ eyes widen and he glances down at the kitten before looking back up at Harry. “Can I?” he wonders in disbelief and he feels something like excitement run through his veins.

“Yeah. Go ahead,” Harry encourages, leaning against the wall and Louis can feel his eyes on him. “You might as well.”

It takes Louis a while to decide a name and somehow in that time, they end up at the counter again except Harry brings out a second stool for Louis to sit on.

Harry offers him an earphone that Louis takes after a moment of hesitation and when he starts to play music, it’s songs Louis has never heard before and he raises a disapproving eyebrow. “You listen to indie shit?”

That makes Harry glare at him and this time he looks like a grumpy kitten more than anything else. Louis would hate him if he weren’t already so helplessly besotted with him. “Let me guess, you listen to the top fifty pop songs they play on the radio?”

“Is that a _problem_ , Harold?”

It seems that’s not even worthy of a reply because Harry just sighs exasperatedly and presses a button on his phone so it plays the next song which, of course, is another obscure artist that Louis has never heard of in his entire life.

The idea hits Louis suddenly and he sets the kitten down on the counter and turns to Harry excitedly, poking him in the ribs and Harry immediately recoils, giggling. “Louis, stop,” Harry complains, batting his hands away and Louis realizes that he’s ticklish. He saves that information away for a rainy day.

“I know what to call her,” Louis says instead and that seems to get Harry’s attention because he turns around almost immediately and nearly falls off his seat but Louis grabs his hands before he can actually fall. “There, we’re even now.”

“I wasn’t keeping score,” Harry replies breathlessly before nodding towards the kitten. “What are we going to call her?”

Louis likes the way Harry says _we_ instead _you_ but he doesn’t mention that. Instead, he smirks and answers, “Indie. I want to call her Indie.”

Harry stares at him for a beat of silence before he narrows his eyes. “Stop taking the piss, Lou,” he complains, flicking Louis on the knee for the second time that day.

“I’m not!” Louis insists before reaching over to pet the kitten again. “Let’s call her Indie.”

Underneath his fingers, the kitten stirs and when she blinks her big blue eyes at him, he knows he’s going to call her Indie in his mind from now on whether Harry approves or not.

Indie mewls quietly, nudging his hand and Louis takes that as sign of her liking the name which is why he turns and gestures exaggeratedly. “She likes it! Don’t you, Indie?”

She doesn’t dignify him with a response this time, simply resting her head on his hand.

“You’re ridiculous,” Harry informs from the side but when Louis turns to face him, he’s smiling, almost as if he can’t help it. “Alright, Indie it is.”

Somehow, after that Louis ends up spending the rest of his night at the animal shelter, sitting next to Harry, sharing a pair of earphones and playing with Indie.

Customers come in and out but before Harry can get up to help them, Niall appears at the door, a smirk on his face and he shows them around instead.

Louis decides that he likes Niall after all.

It’s a nice day in Louis’ opinion—much different than he expected but by the end of the night, he finds he’s buzzing with energy instead of feeling weary and tired like he usually does.

Then he comes to the realization that as soon as Harry closes up, he’s going to have leave Indie _behind_ and that doesn’t settle well with him.

It seems Harry expected this because once Niall disappears out the door, telling Harry he’ll see him back at the flat, the curly haired man turns to him with a grin.

“What?” Louis asks defensively, holding Indie to his chest and Harry giggles, biting his bottom lip and shaking his head. “Why are you laughing?”

“No reason,” Harry replies, sticking his tongue out and Louis swears his eyes are shining with the light of a thousand stars. “It’s just that I figured by now you would’ve asked me if you could keep Indie.”

Louis doesn’t say anything in return, just scowls and goes back to petting Indie and that makes Harry giggle again. He should’ve expected it but when Indie is suddenly taken out of his arms, he nearly gasps out loud.

“What are you _doing_?” Louis accuses, stretching a hand out to grab Indie but Harry holds her above his head and Louis simply isn’t tall enough to reach that far up.

His scowl deepens and Harry just grins, tilting his head to the side. “I’ve got to go lock Indie up, Lou,” Harry replies smugly and the way that he says it sounds more like he’s singing than anything else.

Eventually, Louis lets out a deep breath and nods in defeat. “I want her,” he mumbles and Harry does his own makeshift cheer in reply, resting Indie in one of his hands and fist pumping with the other.

“That’s all you had to say,” Harry teases, putting Indie back down on the table and Louis glares at him before scooping her up in his arms.

“I’m sorry that the cute evil, tall man took you,” he whispers to Indie, all while eyeing Harry suspiciously.

Of course, Harry has no reaction other than for his smile to stretch wider across his face.

“Since I never registered her, you can just take her with you. The pet shop is down the street but it’s probably closed by now. Stop by tomorrow and grab some supplies for her. I know Liam, the owner, so he’ll probably give you a discount or something,” Harry informs cheerfully and then he hops up onto the counter, sitting down.

Louis drops his upset façade to stare up at Harry in amazement. “You’re kind of great, do you know that?” he asks unintentionally but then he doesn’t even bother attempting to take it back because Harry is preening in reply.

“You’re kind of great too, Louis Tomlinson,” Harry replies and then he hesitates a moment before hopping down. “Do you want me get her a collar? We have the personalized pendent machine here too, if you want one with her name on it.” Then Harry ducks his head, his cheeks flushing as if he’s flustered. “Only if you want, of course.”

It’s official. Louis is in love with him.

“That would be lovely,” Louis says, smiling at the younger man who nods quickly, still flushing and then he disappears through a door on the side of the room.

Louis doesn’t know how but somehow, he’s become as helplessly enamored with Harry as he is with Indie. It might be a little bit of a problem.

He’s not sure how to go about it—he supposes maybe he could just drop by randomly at the animal shelter time to time. That could work if it wasn’t so ridiculous.

When Harry comes back with a little bag in his hand, Louis is still musing and he starts when he feels a hand on his shoulder and that seems to wake Indie up from her nap because she blinks at him accusingly.

“Sorry,” Harry mumbles but he doesn’t look too sorry if the way he’s smiling is any indication. “Sorry to you too, Indie.”

Then Harry leans down to brush noses with Indie and Louis swears he might just be dead. He’s slowly convincing himself that this all really is a hallucination on his part.

“Nope,” Louis decides out loud. “This level of cuteness is not allowed. Get away from my cat.”

Harry snorts but he does as told, standing back up and leaning against the counter. “My apologies,” he teases before his smile fades a little. “I need to close up soon so if you have everything you need…”

Louis sighs forlornly and stands up, wrapping Indie in his coat once again. “That’s my cue to leave, isn’t it?” He asks melodramatically and Harry’s lips curve back up as he nods apologetically.

After a moment of charged silence, Louis nods back but then before he can take a second step forward, there’s lips pressed against his cheek and Louis worries his heart might beat out of his chest.

Harry pulls away almost immediately, cheeks still flushing. “Have a nice night, Louis,” he says quietly and Louis smiles softly at him.

“You too, Harry,” he replies and then he grabs the small bag off the counter and heads out before he can do something stupid like turn around and kiss the sad look right off Harry’s face.

It’s only once he’s through the door that he glances back and he sees Harry wave so he waves back before reaching into the bag and pulling out the collar with the personalized pendent on it.

Indie’s name is engraved across the front and Louis stops walking in order to put it around her neck. He’s about to shove the empty bag in his coat pocket when he realizes that there’s something else in it.

Louis blinks in confusion before emptying the bag and another pendent falls out, unattached to a collar and when Louis turns it over, there’s an engraving that says _Harry S .xx_ followed by a series of digits.

Without meaning to, Louis lets out an incredulous laugh and he thinks he can faintly hear Harry’s giggles as he puts the pendent into his pocket, patting it once for safekeeping. “I guess we’ll be seeing more of Harry after all,” he tells Indie who just nuzzles against his chest and he takes that as a good sign.

Three years later, when Harry sees the pendent on Louis’ key chain, he calls Louis a sap but Louis knows what he really means is _I love you a lot_ which is why he doesn’t hesitate to say it back.

From inside Louis’ apartment, Indie _meow_ s and then hops over. Harry is the one to pick her up and nuzzle his face against her. Unable to help himself, Louis wraps his arms around the both of them and Harry giggles, leaning down to kiss Louis while Indie mewls in between them.

It’s a good day for the Tomlinson family.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos would make me very happy. :) My tumblr is [lourrynavy](http://lourrynavy.tumblr.com) and my twitter is [deepestIove](http://twitter.com/deepestIove) if you want to drop by and say hi!!!


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